On Sat, 16 Mar 2002, joanna bujes wrote:
> I don't care how many studies they do. Studies will prove anything. In
> fact, I don't even buy the "cause and effect" basis upon which most studies
> are based. I mean, do you all remember how, after the Watts riots, they
> started doing studies at UCLA to investigate the biological roots of black
> violence?
>
I have to say I don't get how people can have such a casual disregard for scientific research that challenges their preconceptions. "Studies will prove anything": so we don't need to keep track of rape stats? poverty? The number of toxic waste sites in the U. S.? Violations of labor law? If we simply believe in what we want to believe, and that worldview is impervious to change via new information, how are we going to really figure out what's going on and generate solutions to the problems?
Is there some sloppy social science research? Sure. But we need to apply thoughtful criteria to evaluate the research, not simply reject it because it's social science. By the logic Joanna applies above, she should be skeptical of physics because of that cold fusion fiasco a few years ago.
To apply a cliche, let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater. We can learn interesting and important stuff by studying the social world.
Miles